Winter brings cycles of freezing and thawing to the snow on your roof. This is when ice dams form in and around your home’s gutters and soffits, which can be a big risk to your roof’s structural elements and interior walls and ceilings.
And if you have an ice dam on your roof when warm spring weather finally arrives, big chunks of ice or large icicles can fall without warning and hurt someone on your property.
That’s why you need to trust experienced roofing professionals with the job. At Professional Roofers Toronto, we know exactly how to safely remove ice dams from your roof and won’t cause damage. We’ll also help you fix the root cause so those ice formations don’t come back.
Our ice dam removal service is focused on safety – for your property and our crew.
Removing snow and ice from roofs and gutters in winter weather can be very dangerous. That’s why ice dam removal and prevention is a job that should be left to pros.
Ice dam removal is a treatment, not a cure. Simply removing existing ice dams won’t address the reasons why the ice dam formed in the first place. When you call Professional Roofers Toronto, we will:
Diagnose the cause of the ice dam
Remove it
Tell you what needs to be done so it won’t come back
Ice dams result from thawing and re-freezing of roof snow. Throughout the winter, heat escapes through the roof and the layer of snow underneath melts, only to re-freeze if the melted snow can’t drip away when it reaches a colder area.
Generally this happens in soffits, gutters and overhanging areas because they are colder than areas in direct contact with the attic.
This process can start small but gain momentum quickly. Once a small ice dam forms it prevents water from running off so it accumulates, re-freezes on the roof and creates a vicious cycle.
Before long the ice dam will grow big enough to push back up under the shingles and let water flow into the attic.
Too much warm air escaping, melting the snow under the snow pack on a roof surface
Blocked gutters, eavestroughs or downspouts that prevents melting snow and water from draining properly
As an ice dam accumulates it gets heavier and heavier sometimes growing beyond a weight the gutter can support. If it gets to this point it’s a very dangerous situation as it could cause major damage to your home or hurt someone walking by when it finally falls.
An ice dam can push back up under the shingles and let water into the attic. As a result homeowners can experience damage to interior walls, ceilings, insulation and the roof, shingles and soffits.
Even if they don’t pose an exterior threat ice dam problems can harm your roof in other ways. As water creeps in between shingles and expands as it freezes it will loosen shingles and let more water in until you have a leak and interior ceiling damage.
There are several ways to remove ice dams but finding the best method will depend on the particular circumstances of your home or building and the extent of the existing ice dam.
This type of job can be very dangerous as it involves a lot of time climbing around on an icy roof and finding ways to safely remove the ice. Even if you work from the ground with a long handled roof rake you will have a hard time removing solid ice buildup.
Because of the risk to personal safety and property homeowners should not attempt to remove ice dams. Ice dam removal is not a DIY job!
Along with our ice dam removal services our professionals can provide expert advice to prevent water damage, ice dam damage, roof collapse and other issues.
The key to protecting the long term health of your roof is to prevent ice dams before they start. To reduce the likelihood of an ice dam forming during the winter months homeowners should keep the following tips in mind:
Installing attic insulation will help reduce air leakage and heat transfer loss through the roof. A cold roof surface will reduce the chance an ice dam will form.
Adding baffles when insulating will ensure better air movement at the eaves.* Make sure your eavestroughs are lower than the roofline so ice and snow can slide off more easily.
Clean out your eavestroughs regularly to prevent blockages or call us for 24/7 eavestrough repair
Install an ice and water shield of at least 3 feet at the eaves of all heated roof decks (along with a metal drip edge or eavestarter) to reduce the chance of a leak that could turn into an ice dam.
Need safe, effective ice dam removal or expert advice on prevention? Contact us today!
